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Two Men Gave Their Lives To Save Mosque From Alleged ISIS Suicide Bomber

by Sean Levinson

Two Saudi men gave their lives to stop a suicide bomber from detonating inside a packed mosque earlier today.

The bomber was dressed in traditional women's clothing as a disguise, according to The Independent.

Mohammed Hassan Ali bin Isa and Abdul-Jalil al-Arbash volunteered as security for the mosque after 21 people were killed in an attack on a different mosque on May 22.

An eyewitness told the Associated Press the bomber tried to enter the building in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, but the pair ran after him and prevented him from going inside.

An eyewitness, Mohammed Idris, said,

They chased the suicide bomber when he tried to enter the women's section of the mosque in the south entrance.

The bomber then detonated in the parking lot, killing at least four people, including the volunteer security guards.

Another eyewitness told the Associated Press the blast set numerous cars on fire while another claims to have seen the remains of the bomber spread around the scene.

Mohammed al-Saeedi, a man who arrived at the scene soon after, said,

Pieces of the body were everywhere at the main gate and in the roof of the mosque.

The Saudi Press Agency provided a very different report of the attack, claiming security guards stopped a car in the parking lot and someone inside the vehicle self-detonated.

The Islamic State reportedly claimed responsibility for this attack in addition to the one that happened seven days prior.

A Facebook post from the group allegedly said a "soldier of the caliphate" attacked "an evil gathering of those filth in front of one of their shrines in Dammam."

Citations: Saudi Arabia mosque bombing Two volunteer security guards hailed as heroes for stopping Isis suicide bomber reaching worshippers (The Independent), Shiite Mosque In Saudi Arabia Hit By Suicide Bomber At Least 4 People Killed (The Huffington Post)